Nursing review’s entry in Cebu to bolster profession abroad

Written by Wilfredo Rodolfo III / Reporter

Wednesday, 30 June 2010 00:02

THE position of Cebu as a center for nursing education in southern Philippines is getting a boost with the continued entry of National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) review providers in the region. The issue on declining nursing graduate quality provided by some colleges and universities in the Philippines is making the role of these providers more vital, according to All Generation (Allgen) reviewer and chief executive officer Bella Portia Ross. Ross said although there are several outstanding universities and colleges offering nursing courses in Cebu, they should be supported by an equally good review center that will pave the way for the graduates’ landing promising jobs abroad, especially in the United States. “Cebu is the center of trade and industry for the southern part of the Philippines. The province has the highest standards in commerce and education. It also offers affordable university rates and produces quality graduates,” Ross said. She said Allgen can adequately and inexpensively house the nursing students across the southern Philippine region, as its facility in Cebu City in uptown Banilad area is within a secured environment, surrounded with numerous food and shopping outlets. Ross underscored that review centers are vital for aspiring nurses. “We need to challenge and inspire them. The students need to be offered the right curriculum, developed and properly reviewed with the highest standard.” Last year the American Hospital Association said more than 5,000 community hospitals in the US need 116,000 registered nurses. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics also projected a shortage of more than 1 million registered nurses by 2010. The demand for Filipino nurses abroad, especially in the US, is expected to surge in the coming years with US President Barack Obama’s signing into law the US health reform bill. According to Ross, Allgen will continue to make efforts to improve its award winning NCLEX review program that will maintain Cebu as a center for nursing licensure review and other overseas employment requirements such as IELTS, or the International English Language Testing System. The continuing demand for Filipino nurses abroad, specifically in the US, will underscore the need for nursing students and newly graduates to seriously study and review to pass any international licensure requirement such as NCLEX.